Scale Model Railroad Trains

April 2009 Calendar of Model Railroad Events, Shows, Displays, Meets

The number  and variety of model railroad events usually starts to drop in early Spring. There are still plenty of events, shows, displays, and meets to satisfy the interest of the model railroader. Make sure to talk with club members and fellow modelers. They may know of some of the hidden gems in your local area. These events have many purposes and are significant to the modeler whether they are new and shopping for ideas and tips, or a veteran looking for models and equipment to build out their railroad empire. Everyone can use accessories and supplies from vendors and inspiration or guidance from other modelers. Here’s a sampling of events around the country for the second and third weekend of April, 2009:

California, San Diego — The San Diego Model Railroad Museum will be having its Wild West Family Day on April 19th. Everyone will be able to revisit some of the worst train wrecks and disasters of all time. Participate in making a sheriffs badge, learn how to square dance, and pan for real gold. Sarsaparilla floats will be available at the saloon. Enjoy the old Wild West scenery, and a performance by the San Diego Square Dance Association. All activities are included in admission price. Museum hours are: Tuesday - Friday, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission: $6.00, adults; discounts are available for seniors, active military personnel, and students; children under 15 admitted free. For more information, contact the San Diego Model Railroad Museum, 1649 El Prado, San Diego, CA 92101; (619) 696-0199; fax: (619) 696-0239; e-mail: Aparra@sdmrm.org; or visit www.sdmrm.org

Illinois, Mount Zion — The Decatur Mt. Zion & Southern Railroad Club will be co-sponsoring the Decatur Train Fair 2009 with the Decatur Civic Center on April 18-19th, at the Decatur Civic Center, located at the corner of Eldorado and Franklin Streets. Hours will be from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Attractions to include: a swap meet, vendors, clinics, layouts, and door prizes. Admission: $4.00, adults; children 12 and under admitted free with an adult. For more information, contact: Steven Bricker, 4926 Kruse Rd., Mt. Zion, IL 62549; (217) 864-4397 home; (217) 454-2528 cell; e-mail: sabricker@comcast.net

Iowa, Spencer — The Prairie Lakes Division Spring Meet will be held on April 18th, at the Clay County Fairgrounds Depot Building. Hours will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with business meeting at 2:30 p.m. Attractions will include contests for diesel engines, steam engines, rolling stock revenue and non-revenue; and photo-contests for models and prototypes, with a new open class category- anything railroad. Entries need to be registered by 10:30 a.m. For more information, contact: Ron Peterson, 604 W. Willow, Cherokee, IA 51012; (712) 225-4780; e-mail: pete31545@yahoo.com

Nebraska, North Platte — The Nebraska West-Central Division of the NMRA’s 15th Annual Train Show will be held on April 18-19th, at the D&N Event Center, 501 East Walker Road. Show hours will be from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Union Pacific tours will be available as an extra fare item on Saturday the 18th only. Admission: $3.00, adults; $1.00, children under 12; children under 5 admitted free with paid adult. For more information, contact: Gene Tacey, P.O. Box 485, Sutherland, NE 69165; (308) 386-2489; e-mail: taceys@gpcom.net

New York, Massapequa Park, L.I. — The Sunrise Trail Division, NER, NMRA will be holding their Spring Meet on April 11th, at Saint David’s Lutheran Church, 20 Clark Blvd. Hours will be from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Attractions to include modeling clinics, a model contest, NMRA Merit Award judging, a white elephant table, and swearing in of new officers and directors. Admission: $2.00, NMRA/STD members; $3.00, others. For more information, contact: John Mac Gown, 32 Liberty Blvd., Valley Stream, NY 11580; (516) 285-0876; e-mail: burlyjohn@verizon.net

Ohio, Olmsted Falls — The Cuyahoga Valley & West Shore Model Railroad Club’s Annual Spring Open House will be held April 18-19th, at the Olmsted Falls Depot, 25802 Garfield Boulevard. Hours will be from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. Attractions to include Lionel, HO-, and N-scale layouts. Admission: $2.00, adults; children admitted free. For more information, contact: Bill Cramer, (440) 572-3714; e-mail: wmhcramer@yahoo.com

South Dakota, Rapid City — The Black Hills Railway Society will be holding their Spring Open House on April 18th, in the basement of the South Dakota Stock Grower’s Association, 426 Saint Joseph Street. Hours will be from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Attractions will include three operating layouts in HO-scale and N-gauge, along with videos, seminars, a swap meet, and more. See and hear the benefits of DCC operation. Admission: $2.00, adults or $1.00 with a can of food; children under 12 admitted free with an adult. For more information, contact: Bob Fewel, (605)-721-7716; e-mail: zzloconutzz@rushmore.com 

Wisconsin, Menomonie — The Barron Company Model Railroad Club will be co-sponsoring the 8th Annual Happy Grandparents Model Train Show to be held April 18-19th, at Menomonie Middle School, 921 21st Street. Hours will be from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Attractions to include 49 operating layouts, over 15 vendors, door prizes for adults and children, a small riding Thomas the Tank, and speakers on local railroads. Admission: $5.00, adults; $3.00, students (ages 6 to 14); children under 6 admitted free; $13.00, family admission (2 adults and 2 students). For more information, contact: J. Hinrichs, N5489 870th St., Elk Mound, WI 54739; (715) 505-4044 (calls will be returned after 7:00 p.m.); email: janelle_hirichs@msd.k12.wi.us

Canada, Alberta, Calgary — Calgary Model Railway Society will be presenting SUPERTRAIN 2009, on April 18-19th, at Calgary Soccer Centre, 7000 48th Street SE. Hours will be from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days. Show to feature over 60,000 square feet of operating model railroad layouts, displays, Lionel, Lego trains, Thomas and Friends, Garden Railways, photo exhibits, merchandise for sale, live demos and clinics, and a children’s play area. Admission: $10.00, adults; $5.00, children 6-12; children under 6 admitted free. $1.00 off admission with donation of non-perishable food item to Calgary Food Bank. Parking is free. For more information, e-mail: info@supertrain.ca; or visit: www.supertrain.ca

Source

Have fun!

Trainguy

Yes, I’m back. Hundreds of adoring fans have written in wondering if I fell off the face of the earth. Had I been killed in a scale model railroad accident? No, loyal fans, I had not. I got busy with another project that left little time for writing this blog.

Have fun!

Trainguy

Planning Your Outdoor Garden Railroad - Part 13 - Foundation

Planning to build in stages. Your outdoor garden railroad will be built in stages starting from the ground up. Plan on moving dirt. Sometimes it’s necessary to bring in “dirt for your garden railroad. I recommend that you use “builder’s foundation mix”. It is a mix of sand, and clay, and soil that is stable enough to hold the foundation of a home. It is especially formulated to drain water and provide a firm foundation for your railroad or home. It can be used for massing areas below fertile soils mix for plants and plantings. Topsoil, clay, or sand, alone is not the best choice for the foundation of your railroad. Topsoil erodes easily and tends to settle over time. Clay absorbs water then shed it. Clay also dries out and changes shape drastically. Sand drains too quickly. Sand shifts easily, also provides a poor foundation for the railroad.

Have fun!

Trainguy

Planning Your Outdoor Garden Railroad - Part 12 - Electricity

Most model railroads need electricity to power trains, run signals, general lighting, and sound systems. Electricity in the outdoors takes some extra effort to get right.

Ground fault interrupt circuit breakers cause the flow of electricity to be stopped. These special GFI circuits  are helpful in damp areas. It stops the flow of electricity from the source and “ground”. Usually, the electricity flows through a person on its way to the ground. This is especially true when the person is standing on damp or wet soil or is making contact with a wet surface and the source of the electricty. That’s dangerous and can cause injury or kill. You need to plan for proper grounding of all outdoor circuits. A ground fault Interrupt circuit breaker is best. These are not usually standard in homes outside of kitchens, or bathrooms. You will need to have licensed electrician make changes to your circuit breaker box and add special outlets outdoors.

All electric wiring should be shielded in outdoor situations. Waterproof electrical conduit (usually metal tubing) can protect wiring from gnawing teeth of outdoor creatures the elements.

Low voltage DC train signals, model building lighting,  and power to switches should be wired with waterproof stranded wiring. Multi-stranded wiring holds up better than solid single strand wiring. Select wire that can be used in direct contact with water, soil, etc. Indoor, telephone, speaker, or computer wiring may not be good enough. Your wiring should have anti-Ultra Violet (UV) coating. Exposure to sunlight can cause some coatings for wiring can start to break down in a few months if exposed to UV sunlight rays.

All controls, controlling switches, and speed controllers should be in outdoor enclosures with proper water-resistant gaskets, covers, and switching mechanisms designed for the outdoors.  If you have a power going to your speed controllers or switches make sure that you have proper grounding, fuses, and circuit breakers. put down an electrically non-conductive pad with plenty of holes for drainage, where you would normally stand. (Try to break the flow of electricity to ground using by standing on the non-conductive mat.)

Do not make connections to power sources, while building your railroad, unless you have properly terminated and protected the circuits and yourself FIRST. Use insulated tools. Wrap tool handles with high quality electrical tape and wear electrically non-conductive gloves while working. Before working on a circuit, check wires and boxes with a continuity probe that either makes a sound or lights up. Electricity can show up in surprising places when circuits are being installed and are only partially complete. Check first, check every time.

Use high quality materials to handle electricity outdoors. This is NOT the place to save a few dollars.

If you are confused, hire an electrician. It’s well worth it.

Be safe and have fun!

Trainguy

Planning Your Outdoor Garden Railroad - Part 10 - Tracks

Track planning for the garden railroad is more complicated than connecting circles and arcs with straight lines.

Outdoor railroads are often on a slope. The most visually interesting railroad operations are when tracks cross each in the same spot. I’m not suggesting arranging crashes at grade, although that certainly appealed to Gomez Adams. I’m suggesting having one track section cross over another as in a bridge over a grade level crossing.

You need to figure out the  slope of the track needed to accomplish this. The track does NOT need to be straight. In fact, the most common arrangement is having the track run in a circle or arc. Trains struggling to get up hill are not fun. You need a grade or change in elevation that is gradual and extends over a distance of track to make the trip easier.

Railroad grade is expressed as a percentage. A 1% grade is a 1 unit rise for every 100 equal units run. So a 1% grade could be a 1 foot (12 inch) rise over a 100 foot length of track. A 2% grade would be a 1 foot rise over 50 feet. A 3% grade would be a 1 foot rise over 30 foot run. 3% grade is pretty much the maximum that most trains can handle. A flatter or lower grade takes more track, but it is substantially easier to have your trains run on it. This same principle applies to all scales. If you are modeling in HO Scale you can use inches for your units. 1% grade is 1 inch rise for 100 inch run. In HO you’ll probably want a 3 to 4 inch rise so the train clears underneath the crossover track.

Grade dramatically effects the length of trains you can run on your railroad. If you are into long trains or very large equipment (such as modern equipment) try to plan a railroad with gradual grades.

TIP: You can “split the difference” by having one one track go downward, and another rise upward. The crossover point clearance is the critical measurement. It can ripple back to two different points (one for each track). This way each track only needs to rise or fall one-half of the total elevation.

Have fun!

Trainguy

FREE Large Scale Logging and Mining Details Catalog - Ozark Miniatures Catalog

Ozark Miniatures specializes in details made especially for large scale model railroads (F Scale, G Scale, 1:20.3, 1:29, 1:32, 7/8, etc.) related to mining and lumber operations. Some of their products can also reasonably be used with 1/2″, and 1:22.5 in addition to the scales previously listed. They also offer a replacement cab for the popular Ruby live steam engine. Their 2008 catalog (29 MB) and price sheet are available for FREE download. If you are modeling either a mining or lumber operation take a look at this catalog. It has a wealth of detail parts including tools, equipment, and more.

The catalog and product numbering system is very well organized. The product numbers are divided by scales, supplies, lumber, and mining.

Ozark Miniatures has divided the catalog pdf file into individual pages. You have to open each page individually. The reward is a beautiful range of fine detail parts that are well worth the little extra effort. Even if you are not modeling in large scale if you are modeling in other scales still check out Ozark Miniatures. They go beyond details with full camp buildings, steam engine “mules” and more.

Large scale enthusiasts and garden railroaders frequently model mining and logging operations. Ozark Miniatures offer everything from scale lumber (for constructing buildings) to pulleys, saws, and other details for your railroad business operations.

Ozark Miniatures is celebrating its twentieth year. Check out their web site for special 20th anniversary sales and products.

Have fun!

Trainguy

Detail Parts for Scale Model Railroad Trains

The beauty is in the datails. Scale model railroad trains can be tremendously improved by adding details. Detail parts can make all the difference. Manufacturers are doing an outstanding job in producing ready-to-run model railroad trains with basic details. Many manufacturers delight their precise customers who demand accuracy and fidelity to prototype with high quality moldings and paint schemes.

The most demanding customers can find detail parts and add items that may have been too fragile to ship with the train as originally manufactured. Some details are too expensive to mold on to the original because they would cause the rejection rate, at quality control to zoom upward.

In addition to the details for your engines and rolling stock, make sure to seek out complimentary details for the related scenes. Logging industry trains are the picture of sparse simplicity. However, the logging operation used numerous small items that are available from a wide variety of sources. Tools, pulleys, stumps, and more add realism to your logging scene. The trains will look better if there are detail parts nearby.

Some detail parts are very limited production run products. Some come from specialist modelers who have decided to share some of their research, experience and skills in the form of details for other who are modeling the same era or industry. Be kind. Some of these items would not be available at all if the modeler didn’t share. Be prepared to sand off some excess areas where molds join or materials seep out of the mold. Be prepared to use modeler’s putty to fill in air holes or to straighten sections. Send a note of thanks to the “company” (often one or two people) when they have delivered just the perfect item you needed or compliment an especially good mold or run of items. Many times these sources hang by a financial thread and emotion/praise at the right moment may make all the difference in the decision to go on. This is not to suggest that you should excuse shabby quality work or allow your hard earned money to be taken unfairly. It is a give and take situation. Things change over time, and a kind word can make the difference.

If you have built something outstanding send some photos, so they can see their products in their final application.

There are a few companies that can be counted on for the very highest quality in detail parts. Make sure to buy again and again from your favorites. Your voting with your dollars. It is a small niche business and purchases are noticed.

Have fun!

Trainguy

Teaching with Scale Model Railroads and Trains

Capture the interest of students with scale model railroads and trains. Go beyond dry word problems about train leaving and traveling at various rates. Make science and math education come alive with scale model trains and railroads.

Education in the US is lagging way behind the rest of the world. America has a science and mathematics crisis.  Soon we will be unable to fill the science and engineering positions that the previous generation has filled. The demand for mathematicians, scientists and engineers is growing.

National Science Foundation has found that student decide at a surprisingly early age whether they will pursue education and interest in science and math. NSF found that most student decided by the time they were in 5th grade that they “were no good at science and math”.  Girls often decided that science and math was “not for girls” as early as 4th grade.

Counteract these attitudes and trends by making teaching and learning fun. Model railroads establish  a reason to learn and APPLY science and math principles. These subjects are perfect as “hands-on” and “mind engaged” learning experiences when used in the context of scale model railroads and trains. Model railroads inject enough fun without deviating too far from academic procedure. They inject just enough fun without being “baby-ish”. They help to make the mental gymnastics and theoretical remoteness of the dry math and science come alive.

Scale modeling is a natural for mathematics. It immediately demands practical solutions for converting one size (full size) into a miniature, scale world. This is terrific for teaching ratios and percentages. This is not possible with toy trains or out of scale models or “tin plate”. Students are fascinated when you can show them the exact same engine in several scale sizes. Scale rulers and full size measuring tapes can be used to convert the size of a class room or a bedroom into the size railroad empire that room could hold in various scales. This is a lesson that can be carried out quickly and will be memorable. The basic principle of ratios and percentages will last a lifetime and can be used again and again. Ratios, percentages, and relative spatial relationship are standard fair on national college entrance exams.

Older students work on Geometry. Scale model railroads are filled with geometry and geometric principles. Students can calculate the arcs, tangents, and areas of circles using the radius, diameter, and circumference of railroad tracks. Model railroaders constantly battle with getting the maximum circumference in the minimum space. Railroad layout design is a perfect application for geometry teaching. What is the volume of the river, mountain or lake? What are their surface areas? These have immediate application when estimation how much materials you will need to build the mountains, rivers, and lakes.

Yes, you can have a train leaving one station at a certain speed and another leaving the opposite station at another speed. Model railroad creates an opportunity to avoid collision and calculate the optimum location for a passing siding. You can also calculate the effects of adjusting the trains speeds. You can notice the effect of a longer train on the length of time one of the trains needs to sit in a siding. Students can be given a railroad layout, train lengths and times and create optimized collision free schedules.

Scale applies to the speed that a train is traveling on a stretch of track within the model railroad. This is another good problem for math teachers.

Engineering applies to model railroads just as it applies to many things in the full scale world. Will the bridge hold a train weighing more than a certain amount? Will the train fly off the curving track if it exceeds a certain speed and the coefficient of adhesion? Why are bullet trains shaped like a bullet and diesel, freight engines shaped like a brick? Would it be more efficient for NASA to launch a rocket riding on the back of a railroad car downward (using gravitational force) and then curve it upward for launch? Or would the gained energy be lost in the curve? Would the forces created hurt the spaceship or the astronauts?

Homeschoolers can build a railroad as part of their school class lessons. Scale model railroad can be used as a continuing theme used by homeschoolers for week after week. Delving into new areas of learning and creating a railroad for the whole family or Homeschool group. Homeschoolers can visit railroad museums and study careers and history. They can get schedules and ride trains as a school trip. All the way they can be learning and applying their learning.

Social studies and civics teachers can use model railroads and ask how can you create a sustainable community? Model railroads are great for sparking interest in where do comodities come from and where do they go? Westward expansion in the US was fueled by the expansion of railroads accross America. America’s Civil War was the first war that operated in conjunction with the railroads. How did they influence the war and its outcome?

History teachers can have great teachable moments with a model railroad.

The possibilities are endless.

Have fun!

Trainguy

Art of Model Railroads - “Kinetic Sculpture” or “Folk Art”?

Model Railroads are an art form. They can be called “kinetic sculpture”.

About.com Model Railroading 101 says:

Model railroading is as much an art as an engineering discipline. I’ve seen one fellow posting on model railroad forums refer to his layout as a “kinetic sculpture”, and this is a completely accurate description of what we do. A model railroad layout is a sculpture in motion. This is what distinguishes it from most other art forms.

Kinetic Sculpture is defined as:

A kinetic sculpture is a sculpture which is designed to move. The movement can be driven by interaction with the viewer, or automatically using motors or even air currents in the case of a mobile.

Source

and

Kinetic art is art that contains moving parts or depends on motion for its effect.

Source

Model Railroads can also be broadly classified as folk art.

Alankritha Art Gallery defines folk art as:

Art made by people who have had little or no formal schooling in art. Folk artists usually make works of art with traditional techniques and content, in styles handed down through many generations, and often of a particular region.

Wikipedia defines “folk art” as:

Folk art describes a wide range of objects that reflect the craft traditions and traditional social values of various social groups. Folk art is generally produced by people who have little or no academic artistic training, nor a desire to emulate “fine art”, and use established techniques and styles of a particular region or culture. Along with painting, sculpture, and other decorative art forms, some also consider utilitarian objects such as tools and costume as folk art.

If you still doubt that scale model railroading can be considered art take a look at University of British Columbia, Art History Professor, Robert Belton’s response to the age old question - “What is art?”:

What is Art?

Any brief definition of art would oversimplify the matter, but we can say that all the definitions offered over the centuries include some notion of human agency, whether through manual skills (as in the art of sailing or painting or photography), intellectual manipulation (as in the art of politics), or public or personal expression (as in the art of conversation). Recall that the word is etymologically related to artificial — i.e., produced by human beings. Since this embraces many types of production that are not conventionally deemed to be art, perhaps a better term for them would be visual culture. This would explain why certain preindustrial cultures produce objects which Eurocentric interests characterize as art, even though the producing culture has no linguistic term to differentiate these objects from utilitarian artifacts. Having said that, we are still left with a class of objects, ideas and activities that are held to be separate or special in some way. Even those things which become art even though they are not altered in any material way — e.g., readymades — are accorded some special status in a describable way. Because of this complexity, writers have developed a variety of ways to characterize the art impulse. Ellen Dissanayake’s What is Art For? lists these as follows (in no particular order):

* the product of conscious intention,
* a self rewarding activity,
* a tendency to unite dissimilar things,
* a concern with change and variety,
* the aesthetic exploitation of familiarity vs. surprise,
* the aesthetic exploitation of tension vs. release,
* the imposition of order on disorder,
* the creation of illusions,
* an indulgence in sensuousness,
* the exhibition of skill,
* a desire to convey meanings,
* an indulgence in fantasy,
* the aggrandizement of self or others,
* illustration,
* the heightening of existence,
* revelation,
* personal adornment or embellishment,
* therapy,
* the giving of meaning to life,
* the generation of unselfconscious experience,
* the provision of paradigms of order and/or disorder,
* training in the perception of reality,
* and so on.

Have fun!

Trainguy

Not Enough Money, Time, Space? Modular Model Railroading Is the Answer

You love trains and model railroads but there’s never enough money, time, or space. Until you win the lottery, quit your job and family responsibilities, and buy a place with no limits, consider modular model railroading.

What’s Modular Model Railroading?

Model railroads were traditionally either a small hobby that took up a table top, a place around the holiday tree, or an “empire” that soon grew to fill an entire room or many rooms. Excluding the track around the holiday tree, all of these railroads were built in place using materials and methods that made them impractical to move. When houses were sold they often included the railroad.

Sectional Railroads. Then people came up with the idea that the railroad could be built in sections. Sections that were specific to a single railroad. Like an addition on a particular house. The wiring, studs, and plumbing all lined up with existing wiring studs, and plumbing in that one house.

In the last 30 years a new concept in model railroads was developed as a response to the limits that the “empire” and the “sectional” railroad imposed.

Modules. A model railroad is built in small sections in a way that is specifically designed to be joined together with other modules. If there was an agreed standard it was possible to join up with modules you had never even seen before. The small size and standard connections made it possible to move the railroad from place to place for displays, meetings, conventions, and fun running trains. It was possible to take the module to other railroader’s houses, join them together and run trains. It was possible to build your own railroad incrementally and adjust track designs and goals over time.

The leader in the field of modular railroads is NTRAK in N Scale. The NTRAK standard has inspired thousands of model railroad modules to be built. NTRAK modules have been the basis of world’s records in the largest model railroads and longest model railroad trains. There are numerous clubs and organizations that have sprung up around the NTRAK standard. After decades of refinement and practice, the NTRAK standard has set the pattern for modular railroads in many different scales. The National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) Module Standards has adopted standards that reflect the proven experience developed in N scale and has expanded that to numerous scales including HO. There are also widely adopted, but informal, standards for Modules running Large Scale Trains in G, S Scale, and O scale.

Module standards provide a lot of details on materials, dimensions. You add your creativity to one small area and still get the advantage of running trains on a large railroad. Modules add the social dimension to trains. Almost requiring you to go out and join up with others. Share experiences and expertise. You are no longer trapped in the basement or garage alone.  Variety is possible because modules can be joined in a variety of ways. You save money because the underlying structure is shared. You retain your own control over your module or modules and your trains.

Have fun!

Trainguy